A Mind at War With Its Own Past

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MOVIE REVIEW
Smother (Heimsuchung)
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Genre: Horror, Psychological, Drama
Year Released: 2023, Indie Pix Films DVD 2026
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director(s): Achmed Abdel-Salam
Writer(s): Achmed Abdel-Salam
Cast: Cornelia Ivancan, Lola Herbst, Lukas Turtur
Where to Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.mvdshop.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Some horror films build tension through movement, sound, and the threat of something tangible. SMOTHER takes a different approach, grounding itself in the kind of fear that doesn’t always have a clear source. It’s less concerned with what’s lurking in the shadows and more focused on what those shadows represent, particularly when they’re tied to memory, trauma, and the instability of perception. There’s a lot here to unpack; the potential for a truly horrifying story sits in the bones of this film.

The film centers on Michi, a recovering alcoholic returning to her childhood home after her father’s death, bringing her young daughter Hanna with her. That setup positions the story within familiar territory, but the film doesn’t rush into traditional genre expectations. Instead, it leans into atmosphere, allowing the environment and Michi’s mental state to shape the experience before anything overtly threatening takes hold. The film's character study elements make it stronger than it would have been as a straightforward horror film.

Cornelia Ivancan carries much of that, and her performance keeps the film grounded even as the narrative blurs the line between reality and hallucination. Michi isn’t written as a passive victim of circumstance. She’s actively trying to rebuild something, both in her relationship with her daughter and within herself, and that effort makes her unraveling feel more consequential. The tension comes from watching that effort slowly destabilize under the pressure of resurfacing memories.

Those memories are closely tied to the house itself, which serves as more than just a setting. It becomes a space where past and present overlap, where unresolved trauma reasserts itself. The film uses that connection effectively, allowing the location to carry emotion without needing constant explanation. The sense that something is wrong builds gradually, not through sudden shocks but through repetition, distortion, and the feeling that Michi is losing control over what she can trust. That approach creates a consistent atmosphere, but it also highlights one of the film’s limitations. The pacing is deliberately slow, which helps establish mood but can also make it feel stretched in places. There are sequences in which the film lingers on tone without advancing the story in a meaningful way, which can diminish the impact of later developments.

The relationship between Michi and Hanna provides a necessary anchor point to the reality of the situation, but it isn’t explored as deeply as it could be. Hanna often functions more as a point of emotional stakes than as a fully developed character in the story. That dynamic still works on a basic level, especially as Michi’s behavior becomes more erratic. Ultimately, though, there’s room for a stronger connection that could have made the central conflict more impactful. It’s here that I wish the film had leaned more into a psychological thriller and less toward being a horror film with some depth.

Where the film is more effective is in how it handles ambiguity. It never commits to a single explanation for what’s happening, allowing the horror to exist both as a psychological breakdown and as something potentially external. That duality keeps the tension intact, even when the plot itself begins to feel familiar. The audience is left to navigate the same uncertainty as Michi, reinforcing the film’s central perspective.

SMOTHER maintains a restrained style that complements its tone. The use of controlled lighting, confined spaces, and minimal distractions keeps the focus on performance and atmosphere. There’s a consistency to how the film presents its world, even when that world becomes unstable, which helps maintain immersion.

The film occasionally leans on recognizable horror elements, particularly in how it signals moments of heightened tension. Those parts don’t undermine the overall experience, but they do introduce a level of predictability that contrasts with the story's subtler aspects.

What defines SMOTHER is its commitment to treating horror as an extension of character rather than an external force. The fear isn’t just about what might be present in the house. It’s about what Michi carries with her into that space and what happens when she can no longer keep it contained.

The result is a film that works more as a psychological study than a traditional horror experience (even though it tries hard to be both). It doesn’t always maintain its push or escape familiar genre patterns, but it succeeds in creating an atmosphere that lingers beyond individual scenes. Its strength lies in how it connects its central character to her environment, allowing the horror to emerge from that relationship rather than relying solely on external threats.

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[photo courtesy of INDIE PIX FILMS, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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